"Lackey, Mercedes - Arrow's Fall" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

Kris stole another glance at his internee, and concluded that Tantris was right. There was too much red hi her hair, and it was too curly to have come out of the same batch as his own straight, blue-black locks. And she barely came up to his chin. But they both had fine-boned, vaguely heart-shaped facesЧand more than that, they both moved the same way.

ХAlberich's training. And Keren's.:

.ХProbably.:

:You'reprettier than she is, though. The which you know.:

Kris was startled into a laugh, which made Talia glance over at him quizzically.

"Might one askЧ?"

"Tantris," he replied, taking a deep breath of the verdant air, and chuckling. "He's twitting me on my vanity."

"I wish," she answered with more than a little wistful-ness, "that just once I could Mindspeak Rolan like that."

"You ought to be glad you can't. You're saved a lot of back-talk."

"How far are we from home?"

"A little more than an hour." He took in the greening landscape with every sign of satisfaction, now and again taking deep breaths of the flower-laden air. "A silver for your thoughts."

"So much?" She chuckled, turning in her saddle to face him. "A copper would be more appropriate."

"Let me be the judge of that. After all, I'm the one who asked."

ARROWS FALL

17

"So you did."

The rode in tree-shadowed silence for several leagues; Kris was minded to let her answer in her own time. The soft chime of bridle bells and their Companions' hooves on the hard surface of the Trade Road made a kind of music that was most soothing to listen to.

"Ethics," she said at last.

"WhoofЧthat's dry thinking!"

"I suppose it isЧ" She plainly let her thoughts turn inward again; her eyes grew vague, and he coughed to recapture her attention.

"You went elsewhere," he chided gently, when she jumped a little. "Now, you were sayingЧethics. Ethics of what?"

"My Gift. Specifically, using itЧ"

"I thought you'd come to terms with that."

"In a situation of threat, yes. In a situation where there was no appropriate and just punishment under normal procedures."

"ThatЧchild-raper."